Sin & Virtue
by Indrawn
Summary: [Maron&Chiaki][chapter2:pride] Seven deadly sins. Seven heavenly virtues. When fourteen of their attributes unknowingly draw them closer together.
1. sin: envy

**Sin & Virtue**  
by **_Indrawn  
_**  
**chapter 1  
e n v y**

_**invidia **_**→**  
jealousy, malice, insatiable desire for something one perceives oneself as lacking

_Seven deadly sins. Seven heavenly virtues. When fourteen of their attributes unknowingly draw them closer together._

pride - **envy** - wrath - sloth - greed - gluttony - lust  
humility - kindness - patience - diligence - liberality - abstinence - chastity

* * *

**A/N:** This story will have corresponding illustrations from the manga, and can be found as links in my profile. [; It will mainly be fourteen chapters that look into the lives of Maron/Jeanne and Chiaki/Sinbad and their relationship based on a central trait.

* * *

- – **one** – -

As a high-school-student-heartthrob by day, infamously-hunted-thief by night, Chiaki always had a lot of things on his mind. After all, leading a double life was hardly easy.

As a matter of fact a number of things were coursing through his mind at that moment. Such as the matter of the chemistry quiz he was studying for. He had just strolled out of the library to take a breather. He couldn't concentrate anyway; although he had selected the furthermost desk to study at, he could still hear (quite clearly) the hushed whispers and giggles of a pack of girls a shelf or two away.

His train of thought mingled with segments of their conversation became something along the lines of: _because matter can neither be created_ … "there he is--" _of atoms on both sides of _… "yeah Chiaki, that's him! He's such a _hunk_…" _for substance dissolved in water_ … more shrill giggles to his left … _sodium chloride in crystalline_ … "go on, ask him! I dare you…" _in a lattice_ … "oh!-- do you think he'd--"

Chiaki quietly slammed his textbook shut. Without even glancing at the bookshelves, he stood up and strode out of the library. Behind him, he could hear the girls' disappointed sighs. "Oh, he's leaving…"

Damn right he was. Boy, was it hard being handsome.

Besides that, his good looks weren't his only burden. Subconsciously, he slid his fingers around the smooth wood of his rosary he kept in his pocket, feeling the facets of the simply refined, blood-red gem at its centre cool against his palm. Last night his pawn chess piece had reverted back into a black pin, before his very eyes. Never had that happened before.

He had no definite explanation for it; a miscalculation, perhaps. Chiaki made his way down the stairs from the library. As Sinbad, he had stolen the checkmate from right beneath Jeanne's nose, literally less than a second before she was about to seal the demon with her own pin. Angered and demanding answers, she had given chase. He might have lost his concentration in his haste to flee from the scene. And Jeanne.

Speak of the devil… There Maron was at the bottom of the library stairs, making out with some boy against the wall. He sighed. At least they should have the sense to not do it in plain view-- _Pause_. **_Rewind_**.

There _Maron_ was? _Making out _with that boy? …_What the bloody hell_!

Chiaki scowled and checked himself. Maron could kiss any boy she wanted. …It wasn't as if he had feelings for the girl. None at all. Zero. Zilch. Nada. It was all pretence, at any rate.

Hell, their voices even carried all the way up to where he was standing. Talk about a lack of privacy. "…why, you seem surprised, Kusakabe-san," the boy drawled.

Chiaki turned away in disgust, prepared to face his textbook and his giggling, gushing fan club again. He tried to ignore the bitter feeling clutching somewhere around his chest.

Maron wasn't his. She could have her fun.

"No… no… wait a minute, Minazuki-kun…!" That was Maron's voice. And wait – she didn't sound as if she was having what he called 'fun'. And – with _Minazuki_? An image of the nerdy, four-eyed, stuttering wreck of a class president came into his mind. "Stop, Minazuki-kun! … I said _stop_!"

Unwillingly, he glanced back again. Just in time to witness Minazuki doubled up on the ground a few feet away from Maron, groaning and clutching his groin in pain.

At that sight Chiaki had to suppress a laugh; a trace of sympathy even crossed his mind. Minazuki had obviously chosen the wrong girl to mess with. He himself had been on the receiving end of several of Maron's punches; just thankfully nowhere where it _really_ hurt.

He had always come across to Chiaki as a sort of weakling, both physically and mentally. So Chiaki was surprised to see him staggering to his feet so soon. "Kusakabe-san..."

Time to stage his entrance.

He made his way down the remaining stairs quickly, leaning over and picking Maron up by the waist, swinging her to his side of the railing just as Minazuki made a move to grab her. Chiaki was surprised she was so light. Maron gasped, bewildered, and landed clumsily on the steps, grabbing his arm for support.

Chiaki grinned and leaned over the railing. "Stop right there! You can't do that Mr President – seducing a girl in a place like this! Shame on you," he said cheerfully, emphasising himself with several waves of his finger in Minazuki's face.

To his surprise, a smirk spread across Minazuki's face and he grabbed his collar roughly, leaning forward. "She's mine," he hissed softly. "I won't give up Kusakabe-san to you so easily, Nagoya-kun. Until next time, then." With a meaningful look, he released his hold and turned around, sauntering off.

_Demon._

Chiaki watched his retreating back, eyes narrowing. "Such amazing confidence." A few seconds of silence passed between them before Chiaki turned to face Maron. "Are you alright?"

She didn't meet his gaze. "Why did you help me?" she asked quietly.

That _was_ a good question.

He didn't think he knew the answer himself.

"Did you want to be kissed?" Chiaki grinned, avoiding her directly. "Then I--"

"No!" she snapped quickly, reddening. She realised she was still clutching onto his sleeve and promptly snatched her hand back, sending him a glare. "You didn't need to interfere! I don't need your help. I- I could have done something about him myself!" Biting her lip, she hastily pushed past him and ran in the opposite direction.

Chiaki silently watched her disappear.

"Sinbad, I found out where last night's demon escaped to!" The brash voice came from the bushes hedging the stairway.

"Ah, Access!" He smiled at the appearance of his angel companion. "Hey, it's Chiaki now. And I've also found the demon."

"Hn, and I came here as soon as I could to tell you, too," Access complained. The angel flew over to perch on Chiaki's shoulder and followed his gaze. "Oh yeah, that girl just then; Maron isn't it? The reincarnation of Jeanne d'Arc. It's rare to see you helping others," he added, grinning mischievously. "You haven't really fallen for her, have you?"

"Oh knock it off," Chiaki laughed. "I'm pretending, to get closer to her. It's only false affection. Anyway, we have ourselves some demon hunting to do tonight, Access."

He only wished he felt as confident about it as he sounded. He hated to admit that sadly, both his occupations happened to revolve around this girl.

At least he'd solved the problem concerning the chess piece. At present he had a quiz and a fan club to think about.

And about Maron – well, he'd deal with that later.

* * *

- – **two** – -

Chiaki sighed and inserted his hands into his pockets, allowing his mind to wander as the announcements at assembly droned on.

"…_all pupils who have their school fund are asked to bring it to reception at break_…"

He smiled to himself as he remembered the trick he had played on Maron the previous afternoon. She had been spying on Miyako's brother, suspected to be possessed by a demon, at his laboratory – hanging from his window sill, _on the second storey_. The stupid girl.

"…_entry forms are still available from the office; if you have any queries please contact_…"

He knew this because he had overheard her conversation with Miyako beforehand, and he in turn had been spying on Maron from behind the hedges surrounding the laboratory's perimeter. That was, of course, perfectly acceptable. It wasn't as if he was a stalker; he was merely concerned about the girl's welfare.

"This device is able to affect gravity using a satellite." The voice had come from the second storey window. Miyako's brother had obviously been unaware that he was being eavesdropped on, or he wouldn't have been conversing to himself so loudly. "Using this, I can create a major earthquake. The city won't know what hit it. Then I'll finally be respected as a scientist!" Cue the evil laughter.

"…_will meet on Wednesday afternoon at the lecture theatre for further discussion_…"

"Eh!" Maron had exclaimed in alarm. Hey, Chiaki'd been pretty shocked himself. And he didn't see the logic behind the man's thinking; how was destroying the city supposed to bring him fame?

_That_ was when Maron's footing had slipped and with a gasp, she fell. Forgetting his cover, Chiaki had cursed and run out.

"…_only thirty places are left; all forms and money should be handed to_…"

"I could have died there!" Maron'd complained, trying to get into a sitting position. It took her a moment before it registered that she was lying _on top_ _of somebody_. "_Oh_!" Her face flushed pink.

"Don't make me worry so much," Chiaki had muttered, lying on his back. Catching the sixteen-year-old girl's drop from a two storey building had momentarily knocked all the air from his lungs. No matter _how_ light the girl was. It was lucky he wasn't hurt otherwise.

But, she didn't need to know that.

"…_would the formal committee please meet at the beginning of lunchtime_…"

"Ch-Chi-Chiaki!" she stuttered, only just realising who he was.

"Ouch…" He hid a grin and pretended to wince in pain as he made to get up.

She'd hurriedly scrambled off him. "Chiaki, are you okay? Did you hurt your back?" He had to inwardly smile at her genuinely worried expression.

Chiaki pretended to grab her hand for support. "I…" In one swift movement he had captured her other hand and reversed their positions, pinning her to the grass beneath him. "Nope, not at all!" he beamed.

"…_for all who wish to audition, after school choir practice is_…"

Her mask of concern melted faster than a bar of chocolate thrown into a furnace. "Y-you're terrible!" Maron exclaimed, struggling to push him off.

"This is the best set-up for me; I'm very happy!" Chiaki grinned, not budging.

"Idiot! Get off me!" She was now blushing madly and trying to hit him, but her efforts were futile as he still had both her hands trapped.

He laughed. "Oh, I don't know about that…"

And that was the moment when he had been attacked aggressively by her guardian angel, Fin.

"…_and next, we will be introducing a new teacher_." Girlish screams erupted from around him. Chiaki blinked and looked up to the stage at the front of the assembly, and fought to suppress a frown.

At the head of the stage stood a tall, young man, probably in his twenties. "I am Shikaidou Hijiri, and as of today I will be teaching history." The man flashed a smile at the murmuring crowd.

"What?" Chiaki scowled, haughtily running his fingers through his hair. So okay, in a girl's perspective the man may have been alright to look at; but he was _certainly_ not good-looking. Not as good-looking as himself, that was for sure. He couldn't understand what the whole commotion was about. "I'm so much better than he is—" He had turned to see if Maron was watching – but to his dismay, she was ogling at the teacher with her mouth wide open like the rest of them.

"_It's_ _him_!" she yelled in surprise.

Everybody in the vicinity immediately turned to stare at her. Chiaki watched with mounting irritation as the air was pierced with squeals of, "Maron! Do you _know_ that teacher? … You're so _lucky_ … Could you introduce him to me? … I'm so _jealous_ …"

As much as he hated it, he could relate to that last statement.

A hush fell over the student body as Shikaidou began to speak again. "As I have just come back from studying abroad there will be many unfamiliar things here, so please bear with me." That smile again; one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Best regards to you all." He didn't like it.

x xx ;

The bell that sounded for their first break came as a relief for Chiaki. Their prior lesson had oh-so _coincidentally_ been history, and every time he'd glared at Shikaidou over his 'Hundred Years' War' notes with a look of pure dislike, the glance and hard smile he had returned was unnerving – as though he could see right _through_ him. To make matters worse, when he'd turned to his left and caught Maron's eye, the smile he had given was not reciprocated.

He made up his mind to speak to her. Privately.

Chiaki's stomach dropped when Maron immediately bolted out of her seat and hurriedly tried to make her way to the front of the classroom before the teacher left, muttering, "pardon me… excuse me… sorry, excuse me…" to the students she pushed over in the process.

"Excuse me, sir," Maron called, unusually brightly. Shikaidou turned around. "I have something I'd like to talk to you about, _alone_."

Chiaki narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Alone - _what_?

That was when a mob of giggling girls attached themselves to Shikaidou's arms like jellyfish, pushing him out of the doorway, while another horde turned on Maron. "We can't allow you to go ahead of us, Maron, even if it is you! And besides, you have Nagoya-kun already!"

"But– it's nothing like that!" Maron said, unconvincingly. She peered out the door but had already lost sight of Shikaidou.

Chiaki came behind her, snaking his fingers around her wrist. "Then, what is it like?" he said quietly.

She jumped. "Chi-Chiaki!" The way her ears turned red was a dead giveaway.

"Do you know him? What's going on?"

She looked uncomfortable. "I- I… I'm sorry!" Abruptly she broke away and ran outside, losing herself in the stream of departing students.

"Hey, wait!" Chiaki called in frustration, but she was already gone.

x xx ;

What _on earth_?

Chiaki ripped his can of coke open – perhaps a little too violently – staring at the frothing, fizzing surface, listening as it slowly died into a low hiss. He walked down the empty corridor, holding his can thoughtfully. His footsteps echoed behind him.

Alright, something was wrong.

Absent-mindedly, Chiaki paused and glanced out the window to the quadrangle. It was deserted. But was that--

And he didn't like it.

That was Maron, all right. Standing next to _that teacher_ _again_, too close for comfort. What was his name again-- Shikaidou Hijiri… Yeah, that was the one. Well it seemed like she had gotten her wish; those two were totally _alone_.

Not_ one, single, tiny bit of it._

What were they there doing anyway? Maron was… She was _laughing_. When was the last time she had laughed so naturally with him?

Bloody hell.

He felt a sudden pang of jealousy; he hated to see that smile for anybody else. Damn it, he wanted to protect it. What he wouldn't give for a chance to close his fingers around that smirking jackass's throat right now, to wipe that mask of a smile off his face. It didn't reach his eyes. Couldn't she see that?

_Damn it all to hell_.

And what he wouldn't give to wrench that arm draped so casually around Maron's shoulders off. To wrench it until it _hurt_. The pressure Chiaki had been exerting on the can in his hand showed when the aluminium began to crumple. He barely noticed as it hit the floor with several loud, resounding _clank_s, the undrunk liquid spilling onto the floor.

x xx ;

He didn't have to wait long until she appeared around the corner, heading for their next classroom as he predicted. A trace of the smile still lingered on her lips.

"Oh--" She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him. Her eyes darted briefly to the spilt coke and the crushed remains of the can on the ground beside him, and her smile wavered. "Chiaki…? What did you—how did that—" Maron gesticulated jerkily at the mess, struggling to find the right words to express her question. "—What happened…" She trailed off as Chiaki advanced towards her, taking a step back uncertainly.

"Maron."

Another step back. It wasn't as if there was anything to _hide_ from him; she was looking nervous.

One more stride towards her. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Then she tried to take another step away, and her back met the wall.

Almost angrily, Chiaki slammed both hands to the wall on either side of her, effectively preventing any means of escape. _Why_ was she acting like this?

"Who is he?" he demanded. Well he hadn't meant to say that so harshly. The expression on her face stirred something inside his chest; he ignored it. "That new teacher. Shikaidou," he elaborated, attempting to lower his volume and not quite succeeding. "What does he have to do with you?"

Her eyes widened. "What do you mean… We're– we're just a normal student and teach--"

"Then why did you meet with him _alone_?" he broke in. She was stammering again. Chiaki didn't want to let his anger spill out at her, but it was hard to keep his voice steady. He was dimly aware of her heavy breathing; she was merely inches away. Was that an envelope… a letter… she had clenched in her fist? He didn't really care.

A pause. "You aren't jealous, are you?" Maron joked, giggling nervously. She tried to ease out of his hold, but failed.

"I am."

She stopped abruptly.

"It's been bothering me; it _is_ bothering me. So I want to know."

"I…" She dropped her gaze. "We're not even going out, so don't ask me!" she said quietly, almost desperately.

So that was it. "Then we should… go out," he said slowly, leaning closer. The blush creeping into her cheeks was unmistakable. He lowered one hand to her cheek, brushing back her bangs, and bringing his fingertips to her chin, making her look into his eyes.

"I am always looking at you with these feelings."

x xx ;

* * *

**A/N:** As always, encouraging and constructive reviews are more than welcome. [: And if you missed the note at the beginning, the illustration for this chapter can be found as a link in my profile. As an afterthought, I prefer writing Jeanne/Sinbad over Maron/Chiaki. It's harder to capture any deep emotions in words when their interaction is so much more light-hearted and humorous. Hmm. In case you didn't know, the letter Maron was holding was given to her by Hijiri, supposedly from her father. The AMV _Maron/Chiaki So In Love With Two_ by GioelleBrokenWings is also great video. [;

* * *

Next chapter:  
_sin; _**pride**.


	2. sin: pride

**Sin & Virtue**  
by **_Indrawn_**

**chapter 2  
p r i d e**

_**superbia **_**→**  
arrogance, failing to compliment where credit is due, unreasonable and inordinate self-esteem

_Seven deadly sins. Seven heavenly virtues. When fourteen of their attributes unknowingly draw them closer together._

**pride** - envy - wrath - sloth - greed - gluttony - lust  
humility - kindness - patience - diligence - liberality - abstinence - chastity

* * *

**A/N:** It should be noted that the chapters aren't necessarily written in chronological order; scene _three_ occurs somewhere in the time between _one_ and _two_. ;P Also, the divisions in the chapter indicate either a change in the character's point of view, or a cut in time. The standard illustration for this chapter is available in my profile.

* * *

- – **three** – -

Maron hissed in frustration and stood up, roughly gathering her textbooks strewn over the table and throwing them into her bag before slinging it over shoulder and striding towards the exit. Usually she could find seclusion in the library; it was her quiet sanctuary whenever she felt like she had so many things on her mind that it might just explode if further prompted. Just then she'd been attempting to convince herself that it was really the stress from trying to balance her increasing amount of schoolwork, _plus_ her nightly duties as a kaitou, into a short twenty-four-times-seven-hour week.

It was nothing new. Really, she hadn't been thinking about Chiaki at all. About how casually his almost-genuine compliments came, about the way her treacherous heart never failed to skip a beat when he flashed a smile her way, about the way her fingers still tingled after he had _oh_-so accidentally brushed his own against them while reaching for her pen. Really.

Well, that was what she had adamantly been telling herself until she realised a mob of girls had excitedly been discussing the exact same thing in hushed tones and giggles two bookshelves away.

But as fate would have it, the moment Maron, head lowered and lost in thought, tried to step _out_ of the library door, was the exact same moment Chiaki had chosen to step _in_.

So Maron found herself a scant few inches away from the very person she had been thinking about and wishing she hadn't been and who she was currently desperately attempting to avoid so she could finally clear her mind and get a grip on her life and sort out her own tangled-up feelings, but of course fortune had to bear a grudge against her (and she'd even dared to think that after this protracted period of bad luck, something good would _surely_ happen) and place that very person in a position close enough to kiss.

Making a hasty sidestep in order to avoid their collision and all the while cursing her misfortune, she even somehow managed to trip over her own feet in the process. Squeezing her eyes shut, she braced herself for the fall. But some time during mid-descent she realised that the impact from the ground never came. And that Chiaki's arm was wrapped tightly around her waist.

"You're sure out of it today, Maron. I haven't seen much of you lately either. Are you alright?" he asked, a trace of concern in his voice.

Maron clumsily stumbled to her feet, clutching her bag. "Oh… thank—" She was about to reply when she remembered he was the very reason she had even _gotten_ into this predicament. "I'm fine, no thanks to you," she snapped, trying to muster her dignity. "And Chiaki, how long are you going to hold onto me for?"

Chiaki grinned. "Hey, I just saved you from falling down a flight of thirty stairs," he said, pointing downwards with his free hand. Only just noticing, Maron subconsciously swallowed. "And," he added quietly, "I have no intention of letting you go."

Maron blushed and promptly hit him with her bag. "Pervert!" she accused, breaking free from his hold and running down a good few metres before daring to turn around.

Rubbing his arm, he glared at her in mock anger. "What do you keep in your bag, woman? It feels like you smuggled out the entire set of Britannica!"

"Almost," she said acidly. She turned on her heel and quickly ran down the rest of the stairs. _God this _really_ isn't my week_, she thought, ignoring the pounding of her traitorous heart against her chest.

She was already out of sight before Chiaki smiled.

"How long do you plan on playing hard to get, Maron?"

x xx ;

_When the town hall clock strikes twelve, the exquisite_ Chute des Cieux _will be mine.  
_- **_Kaitou Jeanne_**

_I will have the liberty of taking Jeanne's targeted_ Chute des Cieux _tonight.  
_- **_Kaitou Sinbad_**

x xx ;

Jeanne stood upon the steeple beside the monumental clock at the heart of the village, allowing herself to be enveloped by nightfall. From this height the wind could flow without constraint, and at times like these she wished time would stop still, to let her thoughts run unbridled. But time could never halt for anybody, not even God's envoy; she was cruelly reminded as the ornate black hands of the clock reached twelve, and its striking echoed across the empty village square. The enchantment had worn off.

"It's time." She smiled.

x xx ;

Perched upon the sturdy branch of a large yew tree, Jeanne carefully surveyed the scene. She was at the perimeter of the vast Fukuro planetarium. Fukuro was a man recognised for his study and findings in astrology. "_Chute des Cieux_… 'Fall from the Heavens'. Interesting."

She began.

x xx ;

Jeanne never noticed she was being watched. The man paused for a moment, allowing enough time for Jeanne to create some distance between them before he followed, leaping silently from his post. "So Jeanne, I hope you know what you're getting yourself into," Sinbad murmured.

He began.

x xx ;

Jeanne had trouble masking her wonder as she gazed at the enormity of the planetarium from the interior, behind the ventilation bars. Although it was merely a projection, the stars and planets appeared to hang seamlessly from the obsidian sky. But this was no time to be sightseeing.

From this position Jeanne couldn't see the location of the _Chute des Cieux_. In truth she didn't know what the _Chute des Cieux_ precisely _was_; she had at first assumed it to be a painting, but her Petit Claire definitely was reacting and there _were_ no paintings in the planetarium. She had to get closer. But although the dark room seemed empty enough, she knew the Fukuro's security was top-notch. As soon as she revealed her cover, she'd have to make quick work of sealing the demon.

She'd rely on her instincts for this one. Smiling confidently, she raised her foot and kicked the vent open. With a flick of her wrist, her Rebound Ball extended and fastened firmly onto the railing of one of the higher observation decks. Jeanne jumped after it, swinging herself to her new vantage point. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and she laughed as she heard the resounding _clang_ of the heavy vent bar hitting the ground thirty feet below her, signalling her presence.

Right on cue, the infrared sensors triggered the alarm system and the next few moments were pierced with the wail of sirens, shouts of "It's Jeanne! She's here!" and thundering footsteps as the entire police force at the scene flooded in. Jeanne 'tch'ed in annoyance as the lights all cut on, illuminating the entire room. The celestial projections in the glass dome faded instantly.

"Kaitou Jeanne!" Miyako's confident voice rang out over the tumult. "You're completely surrounded. It's best to surrender yourself now."

Jeanne grinned and was about call "I beg to differ," when she heard shouts and two simultaneous crashes behind her. She immediately spun around, and backed up a step. Indeed she _was_ surrounded; two groups of officers had broken down the doors leading to the observation deck and were now flanking her, preventing any escape from the rear.

Damn, and she still didn't know where the _Chute des Cieux_ was.

"You underestimate me," Jeanne challenged, leaping onto the railing. "I'm not any two-bit thief you can capture so easily."

The action caused the police to murmur and hesitate. "Turn yourself in, Kaitou Jeanne," Miyako repeated, though a little uncertainly. "Surely you don't intend to jump; it's a thirty foot drop to the ground."

"Oh?" Jeanne smiled, unwavering.

She jumped.

x xx ;

Sinbad had been observing the scene unfold from behind a window parallel to the observation deck with mild interest. He watched as her lips spread into a smile and she jumped, as though the fall was nothing. But he knew that the smile was a mere façade, that the jump was carefully calculated, and that she had more tricks up her sleeve than she appeared to show.

"Reckless," he chuckled, raising his boot and kicking in the glass window.

x xx ;

"Kaitou Sinbad has arrived." His deep voice rang clearly through the planetarium, diverting the attentions of the police as he stepped through the window, glass crunching beneath his boots.

Jeanne swore in frustration; Sinbad was the _last_ person she wanted to see right now. "Don't interfere; this target is _mine_," she snapped. Not bothering to turn around, she flung her Rebound Ball skywards and looked up as it caught hold of the glass ceiling itself. But what she saw immediately made her stomach lurch.

"And, I've found it…"

Although the projections on the dome ceiling had faded, one thing had not been erased in the glare of the white light; one thing that could not previously be seen against the dim night sky.

The projection of a dark, winged form. An angelic silhouette, plummeting from the skies, yet frozen in time; as pictures never move.

Surely this was _Chute des Cieux_. Surely, this was 'Fall from the Heavens'.

"In the name of God," Jeanne called, suppressing the discomfort she felt in her chest as she summoned a pin from her Petit Claire. "You, a demon—"

"Jeanne, look out!"

She frowned; Sinbad was obviously trying to distract her. She knew he wanted the checkmate for himself, and she wasn't about to fall for so easy a trap. "—born in darkness, I seal—"

x xx ;

Sinbad cursed her obstinacy. He had personally seen the officer take unerring aim at her – surely it wouldn't miss – and had tried to warn her, and yet she wouldn't take heed of his warning. Wasting no time, he grabbed his grappling hook from inside his cloak and pitched it towards the railing of the parallel deck, and leapt off after Jeanne.

God, this girl would soon be the death of him.

x xx ;

Jeanne never finished her sentence, never got the chance to throw the pin. She screamed.

She was falling, plunging through the air, the scream caught in her throat. Her Rebound Ball had been severed from behind; she dimly saw the sharp blade fall to the ground in her peripheral.

Pressing her eyes shut, she felt the air whip around her as she descended. She braced herself for the impact that was sure to follow. If she was lucky (which, lately, she felt that she wasn't), she'd survive with cuts and some painful bruising.

But she never met the ground. She had caught onto something, turning her freefall into a swing. Something that was warm beneath her grasp, that made her feel oddly pleasant. Something that smelt strongly like cologne. Finally it registered into her brain that the something was really a _somebody_: somebody that was very, very male.

"Sinbad!" she hissed, torn between embarrassment and disgust; at being held so intimately, and being held so _by the Devil's agent_. The latter quickly outrode any other mixed-up feelings she might have felt at that moment and she desperately pushed at his chest, trying to tear herself from his hold. "Pardon me, but would you care to _remove_ your offensive arm from me?" she said sharply.

"No."

x xx ;

Sinbad grit his teeth in annoyance, trying to ignore her yelling in his ear as he concentrated on making it to the opposite deck. It was hard enough manoeuvring _himself_ through the air, let alone with a struggling, screaming girl in his arms. He'd answered without thinking; he wasn't actually listening to what she was saying.

Well, not until now.

"Let me _go_, you moron, you pervert, you advocate of the Devil's!" she shouted into his ear, still shoving at his chest. Finally she had lost her cool.

Unaffected, he turned to glance at her. "Why?" he asked briefly.

She looked at him in amazement.

x xx ;

_Why_, he had asked her? Hadn't she just given him three excellent reasons _why_?

He carelessly looked down to survey her face for a moment, and Jeanne felt the sudden urge to take the opportunity and slap him for being so highly uncooperative.

"If I knew you were so eager to fall to your death, I wouldn't have saved you," Sinbad said offhandedly.

The _nerve_ of the guy! Jeanne glared at him; she was about to think of a retort, but then she remembered – in her agitation she had completely forgotten about the demon. In fact, she noticed in relief, she was still holding onto her pin.

Determinedly, she raised her hand, taking aim. "In the name of God—"

x xx ;

For one outrageous, sporadic moment, Sinbad thought that the girl was about to punch him in the nose. Quite hard at that, judging by the anger written over her face and how far she had pulled back her fist. And they were still in midair.

"You crazy woman – we'll _both_ fall!" he hissed in disbelief.

"— _Checkmate_!" Jeanne threw her pin with deadly accuracy, smiling in triumph as it pierced through the glass of the dome – right on target.

"… Oh," he said, stupidly.

x xx ;

A feeling of relief washed over her. The demon's shrieking above them died as its power was absorbed into the small knight chess piece.

The pair finally reached and swung onto the opposite deck – _God_, time always seemed to slow down when she least wanted it to. Jeanne quickly tore away from Sinbad. Well it didn't matter; she'd collect the chess piece, report back to Fin, get back to her apartment while avoiding Miyako, and forget this _entire_ incident with Sinbad…

x xx ;

Sinbad smirked. He might have lost the checkmate, but he had other plans.

Before the white chess piece had even descended low enough for her to catch, he spun around and tossed his grappling hook back into the air with absolute aim, winding it around the piece. A jerk of his wrist brought it sailing neatly back into his palm.

Ignoring Jeanne's exclamation and Miyako and the police's cries of anger at the theft, he chuckled and dove for the lower window, kicking in the glass and calling, "Good game, wasn't it?" over his shoulder as he slipped out.

x xx ;

Gaping at the now-open window, she was still trying to register what _the hell_ had just happened.

One; she had successfully _checkmated_ the demon. Two; he had successfully _stolen_ her checkmate. Three…  
Oh _screw three_.

"Damn you!" Jeanne furiously smashed the window beside her into non-existence with a well-aimed kick and leapt out after Sinbad in hot pursuit.

x xx ;

She was slightly out of breath when she at last caught up to him on the rooftop of a church, halting in front of him and effectively barring his path. "Stop there, Sinbad," she said sharply, grabbing the front of his shirt none-too-gently to ensure he wouldn't run any further. He came to a stop and regarded her impassively, raising an eyebrow, and Jeanne noted with displeasure that he was a good head taller than her. "You have something that belongs to me, and I want it back _now_, never mind the fact that you made me chase you halfway through the village to get it." She felt that her temper would not remain in check much longer; she was tired, and extremely irritated by this point.

Smirking, Sinbad leisurely withdrew the white chess piece from inside his cloak and held it out in front of her. "Oh, you mean this?" he drawled, carelessly toying with it between his fingers.

"You know very well what I mean," Jeanne snapped, clenching her fist tighter around his shirt. "Return it now."

He lightly took hold of her chin and leaned in with purpose. "_Or_?" he breathed, his voice dangerously low. Jeanne's breath caught in her throat but she resisted the impulse to back away; Sinbad was only messing with her, and retreating would be playing into his hand. "I'll tell you what. I'll give this chess piece back to you if you so desire. But," he whispered, his voice hot on her skin, "you, in turn, will owe me a favour."

She allowed her gaze to travel down; his smirk had broadened. "Sorry, I don't make deals with the _Devil_," she said venomously, eyes never leaving his lips.

Sinbad laughed, as though amused. "The fallen angel," he said, abruptly.

"What?" Jeanne warily looked up into his eyes again.

"The picture you checkmated."

Now she was confused. "What about it?" she asked suspiciously.

"It was Lucifer."

Several thoughts raced through her head. Of course, the Devil – Satan, or Lucifer – had once been a prominent archangel in Heaven. She knew that in the War of Heaven, Lucifer had led a third of the heavenly host in an open rebellion against God. And when the revolution had failed, Lucifer and all the angels beneath his command were expelled from Heaven as a punishment for their insurrection. Though, she didn't see how this was relevant.

"The Devil really used to be an angel, an envoy of God's," he whispered. "God and Satan – they're closer than you think."

Her eyes widened and she faltered then — why was he telling her this? His heart was beating steadily against her palm. And she didn't know what she could say. And his even breathing felt dangerously close to her skin. And all of a sudden her heart seemed to be pounding somewhere around her throat.

She hated this vulnerability, hated how her feelings seemed to be all scrambled up inside of her, _hated_ the very person who had made her feel this way. "And I bet you know that very well," Jeanne finally hissed, tightening her hold angrily. "Seeing as you _work_ for the Devil, you son of a—"

She froze. Sinbad had dropped his hand from her chin, narrowing his eyes, and had fastened his fingers instead around her lower arm. For a second she thought he intended to hurt her; perhaps she had gone too far. The air seemed static. Slowly she loosened her grip on his shirt, struggling to repress the increase in her breathing. She had suddenly forgotten how to speak, or move. All the while their eyes never unlocked. His gaze was intense and scrutinising and yet his face betrayed no emotion, something Jeanne admired and slightly feared. It was as though he could see into her eyes like open doors, and she could only hope that he couldn't.

"Jeanne." To her surprise, Sinbad roughly thrust the chess piece into her palm and released her.

The spell was broken.

After a short, penetrating stare, without a sound he stepped down off the rooftop into the back alley below. His cloak rippled silently in the wind, and Jeanne found herself staring where he had been a little longer, even after he had disappeared into the shadow of the alleyways.

Her wrist still burnt where he had held her.

x xx ;

The whole night Chiaki had been lying awake on his bed, and sleep now seemed like an elusive dream as he heard the morning calls of the first birds outside his apartment window. Too many thoughts had been running through his head. He was certain he'd have tell-tale eyebags the entire day.

x xx ;

Somehow Maron had managed to fall asleep after what seemed like hours of tossing and turning amongst her blankets, and immediately _his_ face had appeared in her dreams. _Not_ that she was dreaming about that jerk, Sinbad, because she wasn't. It was only after she had tumbled out of her bed entirely, tangled in her sheets, had she decided that staying awake was a better option than allowing her imagination to run wild in her unconscious state.

His words tugged cruelly at her conscience for the rest of the short hours of darkness.

x xx ;

After the third time she had completely passed out from behind the covers of her _Modern Literature_ textbook, Maron found herself standing in the hallway outside the classroom as punishment. _It's_ a_ll that jerk's fault_, she thought glumly – then instantly berated herself for thinking about him even in detention. She made up her mind – she'd had enough. And with that, she quietly ran down the hall and towards the library. There would be hell to pay for when Mrs P. discovered her absence, but for now she didn't really care. Come to think of it, Chiaki hadn't been at class that morning either; she vaguely wondered where he was.

— Nevermind, there was no need to wonder. Since classes were still on, the library was completely deserted when she had entered; well _almost_ deserted, as she discovered when she walked around a bookshelf and found somebody sprawled over her favourite desk, fast asleep. Her heart skipped a beat; that familiar blue hair, that lithe, muscular frame, was easily recognisable even from behind.

Feeling uncomfortably like a stalker, Maron crept quietly to his side. She didn't even know what she was doing, but she felt a strange attraction that drew her closer. Chiaki was breathing evenly, and in sleep his face looked more gentle and sincere than she had ever seen. She found herself leaning in to study his features – and got the shock of her life when she found herself staring into the depths of his hazel eyes.

"Oh, Maron! What a pleasant surprise," Chiaki grinned. "You aren't in class."

Maron leapt backwards at once, feeling like she had just been caught in the act of doing something utterly forbidden. Even if she _was_ only looking. "You aren't either," she stated evenly, trying to control her heartbeat. "I couldn't sleep last night… and I paid the price for falling asleep in Mrs P.'s class." At this Chiaki started laughing and Maron swatted her hand at him in irritation. "It isn't funny! I had a lot of things on my mind."

"I know you can't stop thinking about me, sweetie," he said, winking.

"Chiaki!"

"Sorry." He smiled. "Actually, I also couldn't sleep last night. Which is why I'm here now – I come here as a sort of refuge. When I need some privacy."

In a way, the two of them actually shared a lot in common; they both lived away from their parents, and now Maron had discovered he was also an insomniac, liked to skip classes and bend rules, and sought shelter in the library too. Perhaps Chiaki was capable of normal human thoughts and conversation, after all.

"If I knew you were awake all night too, I could have come over and kept you company," he added, smiling roguishly as her cheeks turned red.

And, perhaps not.

"You aren't welcome at my place on midnight calls," Maron said testily. "I'm leaving." She had turned around to go – to go _where_, she didn't know exactly – when his hand shot out and grabbed her elbow. Startled, she looked back at him.

"Aw, no need to be so cold, Maron. Wait – I have something I need to tell you." For a moment, he almost looked serious.

Maron sighed. "Yes?"

"Come closer, it's a secret." An almost-earnest grin, and a wink.

She rolled her eyes. The library was empty, but she leaned in for the sake of it anyway. And got the second shock of her life when he quickly brushed his lips against her cheek in a kiss.

Maron leapt backwards again, blushing furiously. "I- I'm going!" She pulled away from him and ran a safe few steps away before she slowed down. "Chiaki, I also have something to tell you," she said softly. "I… I'm sorry about yesterday. I really was thankful." Without turning around, she hurried out of the library. He hadn't replied, but she knew he had heard her.

x xx ;

* * *

**A/N:** As always, constructive reviews are more than welcome; I spent quite a while writing and editing, and re-editing this chapter, so I'd like to hear some feedback on it! And I recommend watching _Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne AMV; Where ever you_ are by MangaFreak150 on YouTube – I wrote the rooftop scene while watching this video. [:  
About the scene with the projection of Lucifer - in case you didn't understand, you know how in classrooms you tend to turn off the lights and close the blinds when watching television or watching a projection on the blackboard? If you have the lights on, you can't see the screen very well because of the glare.  
Also, I'm not really sure if you can catch a chess piece with a grappling hook lol. But Sinbad does use a rope/ribbon of some sort in the manga, and I don't know what to call it.  
For clarification; _Astronomy_: the study of celestial bodies. _Astrology_: the study of celestial bodies in the belief that they have an influence on the course of earthly occurrences and human affairs.

* * *

Next chapter:  
_virtue; _**humility**.


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